BBC Classical Music's ranking of the 21 best albums of 1981

“The year rock had to transform itself to survive”. That's how Bbc Classic Music magazine describes 1981, the year to which it has dedicated its new ranking. “Technology has always played a crucial role in the evolution of rock music,” the magazine writes in its introduction. “The development of the electric guitar allowed musicians to play at ever higher volumes, while advances in amplification systems further expanded the sonic possibilities. At the start of the 1980s, however, the sudden spread of cheap, portable synthesizers called into question the very traditional structure of the rock band. The result was not just an almost immediate explosion of synth-pop acts, but also a genuine identity crisis for many rock bands, forced to adapt to the new landscape to avoid becoming obsolete. In 1981 this transformation became particularly evident: numerous electronic bands made their debut that very year, while several already-established rock names began to tighten up their sound and make it more accessible, with growing attention to the demands of mainstream radio.” In the end, the winners are Kraftwerk, forerunners of the sound of the entire decade, of whom we bring you a rare clip from an appearance on Discoring in 1981 performing “Pocket Calculator” (in Italian!).

Here is the ranking of the 21 best albums of 1981 according to Bbc Classical Music (full feature here). On OndaRock, meanwhile, you can find our own Ranking of the best albums of the 1980s.

21. AC/DC – “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)”
20. The Beat – “Wha’ppen?”
19. Squeeze – “East Side Story”
18. Depeche Mode – “Speak And Spell”
17. Journey – “Escape”
16. Elvis Costello And The Attractions – “Trust”
15. Japan – “Tin Drum”
14. Gang Of Four – “Solid Gold”
13. The Gun Club – “Fire Of Love”
12. The Rolling Stones – “Tattoo You”
11. The Human League – “Dare”
10. Stevie Nicks – “Bella Donna”
9. Echo And The Bunnymen – “Heaven Up Here”
8. Stray Cats – “Stray Cats”
7. The Cure – “Faith”
6. The Replacements – “Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash”
5. Rush – “Moving Pictures”
4. Foreigner – “4”
3. Brian Eno And David Byrne – “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts”
2. Black Flag – “Damaged”
1. Kraftwerk – “Computer World”

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